My Salvation
by Demothi
Summary: Cloud and Sephiroth are both in obvious need of salvation in their lives, can Zack bring they to each other, and what is it going to cost him. Slightly A/U CloudXSephirothXZack, rated for later chapters.
1. Starting Point

'Fourteen years old?' the words stared up at him from the thick, pure white paper, and he looked down at his ID where in bold, dark print it announced to the world that today was his fourteenth birthday. Not that anyone recognized it as such except himself, his ID the only proof; no one in his village cared to remember, even his own mother would not noticed anything. It had always been that way, she would end up getting angry at him, how he was acting far to old for his age, thinking he was at least two years younger than he really was until he corrected her. Never once before had he ever had a birthday party and didn't care enough to pay attention to any parties the other villagers had, being as he was always forgotten.

Not any more though, not ever again, because after today he would be a part of the Shira army, his dream and driving goal to become a SOLDIER 1st class, the highest ranking fighters in the whole of the military. His eyes refocused on the paper in front of him and before he could loose his nerve he made a neat x in the box to confirm that he met the age requirement to join and signed his name with a proud flourish, writing the date beside it in similarly neat handwriting. He reached down and grabbed the bag beside him, a small thing that sadly held everything he would need or want of his possessions, comprised mostly of clothes and the few small curio pieces he had collected over his years, making small jaunts out into the mountains behind the village. With the application and bag in hand he made his way out of the house he had grown up in, filled with only memories of his mother, telling him how much he looked like his father, how it hurt, and in a strained painful way, whispering when she thought he couldn't hear that she wished he had never been born, her burden of a child.

He made his way down to the small white tent just past the edge of the small mountain town, waiting, almost pointlessly, for anyone who may decide to apply for the military. The quiet village nestled at the foot Mt. Nibel was not fond of the Shinra Electric Company, a world power enterprise, even though one of their reactors was stationed at the top of the mountain after which the village took it's name, those who did not outright hate the company and all of its workers had an opinion that they owed the company nothing. He was certain that, in applying for the army, he was placing the final nail in the coffin that was his life in the town, he would never been welcome much less ever accepted back here again. Not that it hurt much to think of it that way, he cared little for the people of the village after years of being looked through like he didn't exist.

"Welcome" He heard an excited voice say before he even saw the tall, imposing figure. He paused for a moment as he looked up at the man, whom was easily six feet tall and seemed to be made of nothing but muscle and sewn. It wasn't until his gazed traveled up the height of the human wall hat his apprehension faded, as he looked up into large cobalt blue eyes, reflecting a energetic joy, above the widest grin the boy had ever been on the receiving end of; the soft flesh on the outside corners of those faintly flowing eyes fitted into well worn crows feet, caused by smiling as the man was now. He had to wonder if he figure in front of him ever stopped smiling.

"So you wanna join the army, kid?" the man asked, the tone of his voice light and jovial, something the boy had never been faced with before, and took as mocking.

"I'm not a kid!" he responded, a bit of anger flashing in his voice even as his voice was a petulant whine that seemed to contradict his statement.

"Whoa, chill shorty" the man said his voice seeming to do the back peddling that he would not, "I was jus joken with ya" his voice lost it's big city edge, making him sound not much different from the men of the village.

"Jo-king" the boy said, his voice catching in his throat as he began to feel very nervous, and something that wasn't unfamiliar, if anything it was most common to him, fear.

_'Zack Fair' _the man reprimanded himself mentally _'You know as well as anyone else that those who sign up for the army have some social issues.'_ He felt his heart twist in pain as the small bundle of blue eyed, blond haired nerves shrank in on himself, as if in fear. What ever strength that had propelled him all of the way through that village to this tent seemed to drain from him. Zack shifted his voice to a more friendly, comforting sound, carefully reaching out and taking the application from the boy's grasp, all the while doing his best to explain what joking meant.

The SOLDIER felt another gut wrenching shock through his heart when he saw the look of fear melt away, leaving behind it one of confusion, tainted just slightly with a deep look of longing. _'Gods, this kid looks so small, and lonely, he really is old enough though' _he noted as he looked quickly over the application. _'I wonder how close he is to his friends, if they have never indulged in a little teasing...'_ He decided to breech the subject as softly as possible, social outcasts weren't banned from the military program, but there was a certain amount that went into getting some of the worse cases accepted.

"Your friends not the joking kind, eh?" he tried, hoping that it would strike a better note with the boy, but found it just as sour as he watched the boy's face become pained.

"I don't have friends..."

"N-no one?" Zack asked, hearing his own voice shake, but not able to do anything to stop it.

"No, I don't need them, I am better, smarter than the children in this village."

The cold, hollow voiced that the boy used, _'Cloud'_ Zack remembered from the paper in his hand, prompted the SOLDIER's next actions before he could really even think. He encircled the boy in his arms, and sent out a silent wordless prayer, as at first the body held there was tight and ridged as if guarding, waiting for a blow. When one never came Zack felt a small head slowly come to rest against his chest, and small arms and hands reach up, shaking slightly as they mimicked the larger ones, wrapping around the larger man.

_'This kid' _Zack thought,_ 'he acts like a simple hug is going to hurt him. It makes me wonder if he has ever been touched kindly in his whole life.' _As if directed by his thoughts a small murmur escaped the slight boy in his arms.

"What was that?" he asked, making sure that it was a soft, kind question, leaning back slightly, and looking down, to find himself lost in the depths of the most lonely, but bright blue eyes in ever.

"Hugs are... nice." Cloud repeated, looking up, an almost hungry expression on his face, before turning his head to the side, letting it rest against the broad, strong chest in front of him. Zack tightened the hug for a moment longer before pulling away, Cloud quickly letting go and schooling his face to a neutral mask, but wasn't able to keep all of the hunger from his eyes.

_'The first taste is never enough, is it kid?'_ he though softly, and decided to give the boy as much affection as he could through out the review. Starting with the medical he found out quickly that Cloud had 15 major broken bones, and countless smaller ones, though all of them seemed to have healed well enough. When Zack pressed him on the reason for so many he excused it away with having gone out onto the mountain paths and slipping or other such incidents. None of the reasons sat right with the older man, nor did the way the boy was able to cite the ins and outs of the healing process, as if he were the one to tend all of them.

The next medical issue he covered was illnesses, "When was the last time you got your shots?"

"Wha-" the question threw Cloud off for a moment before he responded "I haven't had any, never got sick with anything serious, and those things are too rare out here." Another convenient excuse, one that Zack saw through right away, after all each town was provided with enough shots and vaccines for each person as they were due every year. He bit back any words so as to keep from scaring the boy again but began thinking heavily on it. _'Why? This is starting to sound more and more like child abuse, on a village wide level... or am I just trying to find somebody who needs a hero?'_

He then performed a quick, easy dental check which came up completely clean, and started, even as he was cleaning up from it, on the next part. A subtle psychological test, given while he had the applicant do small physical work, to distract them from figuring out the real purpose of the questions. He was surprised to find out that he had no father figure, never knew who his sire was, even by name, and that he best described his relationship with his mother as strained. He was relieved to find no suicidal thoughts processes, though he showed an extraordinary sense of superiority over anybody else he had ever met; _"except you"_ he had added without a second thought. Without any other family, any friend or relationships with the other villagers the test was quick, but through.

"What do you prefer?" Zack had finally come to the one question he hated most, the look of abject fear in the eyes of those boys who found their attractions in those of the same gender, and the look of pure disgust at the notion of anything else from those who found the fairer sex to their liking.

"What do you mean?" Came the soft return question, the first time Zack had ever encountered such a thing, he hadn't even come across anyone else who had ever had something like this happen.

"Ah... do you find guys or girls more attractive." He could feel a soft blush raise against his cheeks, glad for his naturally dark skin which hid the effect for the time being.

"I don't know," was the dead pan response, accompanied by those wide blue eyes looking up at him with a curious expression. "I guess I never thought about it... the figure doesn't matter though, it is inside that does... so far... I prefer you." The final piece was accompanied by a dazzling smile, one that, if only barely, touched those hungry eyes. The soft touches Zack had given through the interview, kind and with little force, at first they had made him jump, but slowly he had relaxed and even seemed to enjoy them a bit.

_'More than just a bit, crap, now what do I do, I don't want to break the kid's heart, but my girl back home probably would kill me for stringing him a long.' _He fretted for a moment before getting his thoughts straight _'No pun intended, but I am the only person this kid has ever really liked at all... he probably doesn't understand the full scope of what he just said.'_ That in mind he tried to keep his next words as soft and friendly as possible.

"So what you are saying is... it doesn't matter, boy or girl, so long as they are the right person?"

"Yeah, I guess." Cloud's voice was very soft, almost unsure.

"That is fine, don't worry kid, it is better to fall for someone for who they are over what they are any day." Zack said, reaching up to ruffle those blond spikes, finding that there was nothing keeping them that way except their own nature.

Cloud felt odd, in a light, giddy way, something he had never felt before, but wasn't against the idea of feeling more often now. _'I wonder if this is what it is like to be happy.' _he mused, letting his thoughts wander._ 'I hope that I can keep feeling this way once I make there, to the army.' _Zack's subtle rebuff had hurt, but not for long, as Cloud had proceeded to chastise himself mentally on how the other man had to be four years older than him, and didn't want a child going all doe eyed on him all the time, not to mention he had no idea if he had someone else already.

Cloud opened his mouth, about to explain to Zack that going to tell his mother that he would be leaving had no point, when suddenly there was a ruckus going up outside the tent, which had been closed when Zack had him strip to do a through health exam.

"Cloud!" a familiar male voice rang out making him wince slightly, which he hoped the SOLDIER didn't see. "Cloud, I know you are in there, get your sorry excuse for a human ass out here!" That made him shiver and before he could think about it he was headed to the door of the tent, prepared to open it and step out. It wasn't until Zack placed a gentle hand on his shoulder that he even realized what he was doing, or where he was.

Zack strode to the tent door, opening it easily, looking as proud and full of authority as if he were president Shinra himself. Cloud saw who the clear profile of the village butcher standing, fist raised as the canvas door way fell back to revile the battle hardened SOLDIER, so different from the friendly man he had come to know.

"Shinra dog" the butcher spat, letting the words hang in the air for only a moment before launching, verbally, into the man standing between him and the person he had come to retrieve. "Where is the boy, Cloud get your ass out here, right this minute. I swear to god if you don't move it I will make sure that you have enough limbs broken that you will have to chose one to keep healed properly." Cloud, hearing the angry tirade began to shrink as small as possible, tears burning behind his eyes, but he would not let them fall. "You owe it to your mother, she should have left you out in the snow that first winter after you were born you wretch!"

"SHUT UP!" The scream that came from inside the tent barely made Zack raise an eyebrow, but it sent the butcher up out of his skin, the sound far to high for a grown man, but the boy in question still had his child's voice, high and with out any timbre. "Just shut up! I don't owe my mother anything! Not for holding onto a child she hated, not for casting me aside the first time she saw my father in me, not for keeping his identity secret from me... I owe her for nothing." Through out his fuming Cloud had moved closer, not content to hide behind the much larger and stronger man and scream.

That proved to be a mistake as the butcher reached out, quick as lightning, and grabbed his wrist, twisting it and the arm violently behind him. A small yelp of surprise, colored only slightly with pain, escaped him, doing nothing to cover up the sick, wet sounding crack that made him close his eyes. He kept his eyes closed, in part to cover the look of pain in his eyes, but also to concentrate, and work to prevent himself from blacking out. He heard a sudden flurry of motion before it seemed like everything in the world slowed to a crawl, it jolted back to full speed as he heard a deep, gravely voice coming from behind the butcher.

"Let him go, immediately, and you will only be charged with assault of a Shinra employee. Test my patience and you will be charged with willful intent of damage against a Shinra employee." Cloud knew it was Zack, that the friendly man was also this same fearsome one, not above threatening death to protect a friend. Cloud felt his wrist released and his world pitched, spots floating in front of his eyes, and just as he was sure he was going to collide with the ground he felt a strong arm catch him, pulling him close to a warm chest, and it was there in that warm, safe place that for the first time ever he let himself fade into the darkness around him without fear of new wounds when he awoke.

Authors Note: This is slightly A/U, I made Cloud and Zack further apart in age than is cannon, for my own reasons. This story will contain Yaoi, probably some Het, and the possibility of at least pointing out Yuri, if you disagree with any of these that is fine, but please don't flame me if you read it and arn't smart enough to click away.


	2. A New Chance

Cloud woke up slowly, his eyes sliding open just a fraction, taking in his surroundings; he was at the inn, in the upstairs room, but why? How did he get there and why had the towns people let him be there. Another question that prompted itself was why were there no new broken bones, or wounds... even the arm he knew should be broken didn't hurt in the slightest. Then it all flooded back to him _'That SOLDIER, Zack, he... he saved me...'_ he felt a few tears begin to burn their way down his face, though if they were from humiliation or the swell of joy in his chest he didn't know.

"You okay buddy?" He heard Zack say and opening his eyes fully saw that the man was sitting beside the bed, on one of the uncomfortable looking wood chairs. Cloud nodded mutely, bringing one hand up to swipe away the tears, but before he could even do so he found himself held in another tight, but controlled hug. This time he had little fear that Zack would hurt him, or be cruel about this action in the least, and so let himself relax quickly into it, head resting against the well muscled chest, hearing the deep, sure heartbeat inside, and his arms wrapping tightly against the man's torso. "Why didn't you tell me the truth?" the man's voice was husky, though Cloud couldn't tell what emotion it was that made his voice distorted in that way.

"Be-because" he started, trying his hardest not to be scared, Zack had never done anything that warranted his fear. "I was worried... that the army wouldn't want me... if I had been beat up too much." He felt the body embracing him jerk and for a moment panic filled his brain, worry that some blow was coming, until he felt the others head resting against the top of his, nestling into the spiky hair there, and recognized the sound of a few soft sobs.

"Yo-your shots, they weren't with held because of a lack of supply, they were just neglected, weren't they?" the voice was soft, and interspaced among the words were more of those soft sobs. Again Cloud could only nod, afraid to trust his voice, scared that at any moment he may begin crying too. "I won't let them not accept you." Cloud's eyes flew wide at the determined statement "I am not leaving you here, they couldn't pay me enough to get me to." That was all it took, hot tears, not of anger or fear, but tears of such intense joy, cut lines down his face and he clutched to Zack crying into the soft knit shirt until there were no tears left.

_'This poor kid'_ Zack thought, running his fingers though the baby soft hair, letting it slide between his fingers. _'He flinches even in his sleep, I can't leave him here, he will die, if these people don't kill him out right it will starvation or any other form of neglect.'_ He looked up out the window, waiting to see that small speck in the horizon, red blinking lights showing that it is something other than a bird, and the distinct sound of the helicopter prop as it chug chugs through the air. He thought back on the events that had transpired after Cloud had passed out.

_He caught the boy, pulling him tight to his chest, a deep anger burning in his eyes as he looked at the man, whom he had pushed to the ground, both so that he could catch the small falling body, and also to keep him in place. With one hand he sheathed his sword, collecting the boy into one arm, trying not to think on how he seemed almost like a rag doll in his arm; he pulled out a length of cord with his unoccupied hand and approached the man. He knew he scared the oversized bully, as the man sat their trembling in where he was pinned by Zack's gaze, and he used that fear, telling him to move or stay put as he needed, until the mans wrist were bound tightly. _

_He had marched the man up to the inn, as there was no where suitable in the tent to put down his delicate burden. He used every once of superiority he had to force his way into the room, taking it over with in moments, leaving the now shaking man in the far corner in favor of laying the blond down on the bed. Seeing him flinch softly as he reached out to touch, not broken arm, but his shoulder made Zack's heart threaten to break, and he had to bite his lip as small cries of pain erupted from the small form while he set the broken bone into place, casting a cure spell to bind and fix the damage immediately. _

_He pulled out his PHS, punching in a few quick numbers before sending the call, he heard it ring a few times, and just as he was afraid it would ring through to the voice mail a deep voice sounded from the other end of the line "Zack... what is it?"_

_"Hey Angeal, something came up and... well."_

_"What kind of trouble did you get into out there?"_

_"It's more of our new recruit, I have someone in custody for attacking the kid, I need a pick up."_

_"WHAT?! Can't you just make it back how you were supposed to?"_

_"That is the problem, I don't trust the kid anywhere and he needs some real TLC before anything else." Zack fidgeted nervously as there was no response from the other man, he was just about to check that the call was still making it through when he heard a deep, tired sigh from the other end._

_"Fine... but it will be Turks picking your lazy ass up."_

_"Thank you Angeal" He said, sending as much of his thanks over the phone before he heard the distinct click from the other end, signaling that the other had hung up on him, not that he minded, it was a normal thing._

_He looked back down to the boy on the bed, and he pulled up one of the chairs in the room and began genteelly running his fingers through that sunshine yellow hair._

His eyes flicked to the clock on the wall, wanting to see it tell him that more just a few minutes had passed since his last look, not that he got his wish, only two minutes having passed. His eyes snapped back to the window as he heard the steady sound of the helicopter engine getting closer, his mako enhanced senses allowing him to catch it long before anyone else in this dingy little town would, his eyes catching the faint but ever present flash of red as the machine made it's way to the open space just outside the village. Zack paused in his absent petting of the boy, wondering how to do everything when he heard a soft whimper from the figure on the bed, he looked down to see lonely, lost blue eyes peering up at him though a haze of sleep.

"Good, your awake, that makes this a little easier." he said, receiving a soft nod and a nervous smile for the effort. "Can you get up and walk?" the question was a kind one, with no hint of anger or disgust in it, but still Cloud's first instinct was to shy away for a moment before once again nodding quietly. He quickly moved off the bed, standing a little shakily at first before he was able to get himself situated just right, after which he started making his way to the door way and surely the exit from the inn. Zack moved to the man, whom hadn't move a moment from where he had been left. "Move" the single growled command set the man into motion, standing and walking warily out of the room, Zack in close tow.

Cloud headed unerringly towards the tent, where the helicopter was just touching down onto the field a safe distance beyond. Zack picked out the forms of three Turks making their way over to the tent moments after it had touched down, the first and most obvious lanky man with bright red hair, known as Reno, which meant that the tall, broad man next to him was his partner Rude. The third was distinctly female and it took him a moment to recognize the dark auburn hair in the fading light, as the sun set below the level of light for the enclosed village. She was known mostly as 'Tank Girl' for her love and expertise in all things heavy artillery, she was a spunky person, who often confused younger cadets into thinking they were supposed to call her 'sir' instead of 'ma'am'.

Zack's small group made it to the tent site just as the Turks were finishing bringing out all of the stuff that had been inside, Cloud quickly locating and putting on his bag. "Hey, Reno, Rude how you guys doing?" Zack greeted the two men, the redhead going off on a tirade while his quiet partner merely nodded to the SOLDIER to recognize that he had spoken. Zack broke in over the endless jabber of the read head, facing the only female in the whole group "And what about you-"

"Don't!" came the surprisingly deep but still feminine voice, cutting him off neatly, while she looked at him her amber colored eyes flashing with a combative hunger.

"What call you-"

"Don't do it!"

"Sheila!"

"ARRRGGGHHH!" The scream of rage was met with Zack's own joyous laughter, this a constant game between the two, who had become friends back in their first year of training. She reached up and gripped his throat as if to strangle him, but put no pressure into the hold and only shook him back and forth.

"You dyed your hair again I see." He offered up, between rattling shakes and his own mirthful laughs.

"Yes, I did." she said, finally letting him go, and giving him a soft smack on the arm, a wide grin across her own face. "Got sick of people asking who bled on my hair." One of the few known facts about the woman was that she was a light blond naturally, but she kept her hair dyed to a dark auburn most of the time, unless it faded out into an odd copper red that looked very reminiscent of blood stains.

"Guys this is Cloud" Zack said, finally looking over at the boy, who looked half terrified by the woman's outburst. He threw a comforting and protective arm across the boys shoulders, drawing him close, so that he could be introduced properly but hopefully take comfort from Zack's own presence. "Cloud these are some of the Turks, SOLDIERs don't work with them often, but you will see them around. The redhead who never stops talking is Reno and his partner that never talks is Rude." these were met with two identical expletives about animal waste, but Zack just chuckled at it, garnering a soft half giggle from the youngster. "The gal with the anger management problem is best known as 'Tank Girl', she won't like you using her real name." he added in a stage whisper, earning him a soft punch on the arm that was not protectively encircling Cloud.

"N-nice to meet you, R-reno, Ru-rude, and Tank... Girl" came the nervous, soft reply.

"Good to meet you kid." was Reno's reply, leaving Zack to wait with baited breath, waiting to see if the boy would take it jokingly or not. A subtle, but defiantly there smile made an answering one grow on Zack's face, the boy learned fast, and the slight joking tone in the Terk's voice seemed to fix even a bit of the nervousness he felt.

"Hello." was the simple greeting from Rude, soft spoken as alway, and accompanied by a small nod. Somehow the quiet man making the blond even more comfortable, despite the imposing figure he cut, the constant presence of his sunglasses not deterring the slightly growing smile on the boys face.

"Good to meet you Spike." the burly woman said, her eyes bright with a smile. "Don't believe anything this butt head says." she added, pushing slightly on Zack, her grin soft and playful.

After the quick introductions each person went about to take care of their own thing, Zack securing Cloud's attacker in a cage like room designed inside the helicopter just for the purpose of criminals before carrying boxes and equipment in as well. Cloud did what he could to help, but found that he was still weak in the knees and that if he did too much his arm hurt, though no where what it should for one that had been broken, he quickly asked Zack what had happened and blanched at the mans happy explanation that he had been Cured. The three Turks set about collapsing the tent, the two redheads creating a small din of voices frequently punctuated with curses while the silent man easily worked on through out all of it. In less than thirty minutes the whole group was ready to take off.

"C-cloud" despite the soft tone, and almost sad voice everyone heard the almost depressed statement as it floated on the cooling twilight breeze, and Cloud cringed slightly, turning to look at the source. A beautiful, if worn, woman stood just outside of comfortable distance, prompting the blond to take a few steps forward, though this time he thought better than to move too close. Her long, strait brown hair was pulled back into a lose ponytail which tugged playfully in the breeze, and her dark brown eyes, wide and sad, seemed to be welling with tears.

"Mother." Cloud responded, his voice cold, not willing or wanting to return any of the emotion the woman was expressing. _'What is she doing here?' _he wondered, his eyes narrowing slightly. _'What can she want from me now, I am finally leaving her, freeing her from the burden of raising me... what more can she want?'_ He waited, watching carefully for her next action, throwing away a half formed thought that maybe she finally wanted to be a mother, to be there for him.

"Are... you really leaving?" She asked, her voice thick with tears, though if they were really from sadness or just hidden tears of joy Cloud could not tell. "Why, baby, why are you going? Joining them? Please, the world outside is so cruel, you won't make it, stay here, where it's safe, with me!" Her words sounded just as he could imagine that many mothers sounded, finding out the true intentions of the now new recruits, but Cloud knew they were hallow, that there was no real worry in her, not for him.

"I am going because I will be strong enough, because there can't be anything in the outside world half as cruel as this place is. I am may even find out who my father is." His last words made her eyes go wide with shock, and maybe a little fear. "I figure he must be connected to Shinra, after all I was stopped long before I ever got a single question about him out, and with the way this town hates the company there must be some connection. So what was he? A SOLDIER stationed out here for sometime? Or maybe one of the Turks who used to stay in town back when the old Shinra Mansion was being used. What was it mother? Don't worry I'm not so dense as to think that there is any chance it could be one of the executives..."

He could see the fear and anger flickering back and forth across her face, how she chewed on her bottom lip, ending with a look of pure rage. "How dare you?" her voice, low and soft as it was carried a deep and foreboding threat to it. "How dare you speak to me like that, all I ever did I did for you, I gave up everything, my youth, my chance to get out of this crappy little village, just for you!" Slowly her voice escalated, breaking slightly as she finished, Cloud turning back to the waiting helicopter.

"Yes, I value how much you sacrificed for me, when I didn't ask for it, and never even got a say in weather or not I wanted it." He shouted back over his shoulder, making sure he was clearly audible over the sound of the massive engine starting up. He finished making his way to the machine, and Zack who waited for him in the propped open door, hand out stretched to help him up. The last thing he saw of the village he had known all his life was out of the small, thick glass as the buildings and his mother standing out in front of them faded into the surrounding darkness; he looked over at the man next to him, Zack's bright cobalt eyes hidden behind soft looking eyelids, the man who had become the beacon of Cloud's future.

A/N: Here is chapter two, I am glad people seem to like this, adding it to alerts and everything, but please let me know what you like about it so that I can work to do so even better, or if there is anything you don't like so that I can work on making that good. Thanks.


	3. Not Alone Any More

Quick note to my reader: This fic is obviously not exact to the games... the characters aren't going to be portrayed how the games do, so if a character isn't 'in character' please remember that if didn't want to change anything from the games I would not be writing fan fictions. Thank you

Zack awoke easily as the helicopter neared Midgar, some sent in the air or perhaps just a natural knowledge that he was near home drawing he up from sleep. He could see the bright light glittering and reflect off widows from the one across from him, and made to stretch, only to find Cloud curled up against his side, somehow snuggled beneath his arm. He debated on waking the boy, softly running his hand down the boy's bare arm and feeling how cold the skin was to the touch, he decided to let him sleep _'It would be best not to scare him with the shear size of the city'._ He watched the boys face as they descended, the harsh, merciless light showing off every too prominent hallow and accentuating how thin he really was, something that was hidden in the sunlight out in the village.

_'I can't let them not take him... he has no where to go, but so small, malnourished most likely, he will have to put on a lot of weight before the courses start... hopefully good food will do that for him.'_ Zack was painfully aware of how light, too light, Cloud was as he genteelly picked him up, cradling him against his chest, as he made his way out of the helicopter and onto the landing pad below. There he was greeted with the sight of his mentor, Angeal, and Sephiroth, a friend, both of whom gave him small waves of greeting, appearing equally stoic, which wasn't a good sign.

"The Director wants to see you." Angeal said in leu of a greeting, looking down to the figure curled against Zack's chest with one eyebrow raised. "This the kid?" Zack simply nodded, knowing that, at least from his mentor, the boy would raise only a protective nature, the older man being the kind to want to protect any poor soul. Zack shifted the sleeping form in his arms, getting prepared to pass him of to Angeal, when the other man shook his head. "I have to come with you, he can take the boy though." the last part was said almost as if an after thought as he pointed to Sephiroth.

"You don't mind?" Zack asked the thus far silent man, turning to look at him for the first time since the conversation began. Sephiroth's green eyes were trained on the childlike figure in Zack's arms, seeming to memorize each dip and curve, flicking up to that perpetually spiky hair, then taking in a gauged heigh for the boy. "Seph?" At the nickname the silver haired man's head snapped up and his eyes locked with Zack's. "You okay taking him?" A single nod eased Zack's worries and he finished shifting and handed the sleeping boy off into equally strong arms, and he noted the quick flash of surprise in those normally hard eyes, as the slight weight barely registered with the other man.

Cloud whimpered softly at the loss of warm body to curl up against for a moment, before curling easily and naturally against Sephiroth, the action making the dark-clad man seem confused for a moment, before curling his arms into a more comfortable position, holding the blond more securely against him. "I-I'll be in my room, you can retrieve him there." the man's voice held just a moment of hesitance, which alone was rare to hear, but the end of his statement had threatened to become a question in his slight confusion. He nodded curtly before walking of in the direction of his personal quarters, presumably to set the boy down and watch over him from a remote corner of the room.

_'I wonder, both of them are so skittish in their own ways... is there a chance they could... draw each other out of their defensive barriers...'_ Zack mused as he followed his long time mentor down a hallway towards the Director's office, only noticing that he was being spoken to when the other man looked back over his shoulder with a curious look on his face. "Sorry Angeal, got lost in my thoughts... what was it you were saying?" He asked sheepishly.

"Oh you mean you actually have thoughts?" the other man said, with a rye sense of humor behind the words.

"Hey, of course I do... how else would I have made it to SOLDIER?"

"SOLDIERs arn't paid to think, their paid to do."

"Yeah... what ever, but what was it?"

"I was asking if you were sure that kid is going to be any good, in the army I mean."

"He is... right now the spirit is willing, even if the body isn't able. He just needs some TLC to get him into a decent shape, real meals, no one breaking his bones, stuff like that."

Angeal arched an eyebrow again, his eyes becoming soft and almost pained, "You aren't exaggerating are you? He really has been treated that bad... it shows on every inch of him." There was no real question to his words, they all sounded like hard cold facts. "What are you going to do if he isn't accepted? They can still turn him away you know." This time the question was full of worry.

"I will take the kid into custody for abuse and neglect, and I will watch him until next year when he should be healthy enough to join." Zack said with more conviction than he felt, after all it was rare for even a SOLDIER 1st class to be allowed to raise their children in the complex, much less a child who had been removed from custody, but he couldn't risk the system losing the boy, as was a frequent occurrence, leaving Cloud to become yet another Midgar orphan. He couldn't help but drop his eyes as Angeal's clouded with worry, and something else half formed, knowing that he was being foolish, but not wanting to give up the small dream that had started growing in his heart.

"Look smart, where here" was the only warning he got as the two of them entered into the office of the Director of SOLDEIR, Zack fully prepared to fight for Cloud's acceptance into the military.

Sephiroth twitched slightly as the small body in his arms snuggled closer, feather soft hair trying to tickle the bared skin of his chest just below his collarbone. His eyes were trained on that face, that hinted at the ability for a smooth, babyish quality if the boy were well fed, soft lips parted just enough to let air pass between them, though they did not make any snoring noise at all. All in all the boy barely looked twelve much less fourteen, but he knew Zack would have wrangled out the true age of the boy, one of those people who hated the idea of destroying a child's innocence. He reached out as he reached his door, his feet having guided him here by memory alone, and he quietly opened the door and made his way in.

He moved to the plush bed on the back wall of the room and eased the boy down onto the cover,making sure that he was far from the edge, just incase he were to roll about he wouldn't fall off right away. He straitened back up and turned around, casting about his room for a decent place to stay until Zack was able to come collect the boy. He decided on one of the few padded chairs off in a corner, near to the window, a little closer than he would have liked, but better than standing. He started to head in that direction when the movement was ended prematurely, his head pulling back just slightly as a small patch of his hair did not move freely forward like the rest of him. He looked back, thinking perhaps he had gotten it stuck under the boy, not the first time for him, but found that there was a small hand wrapped tightly around a sizeable clump of his hair.

Cloud mumbled something softly before adjusting his sleeping position, letting a majority of the trapped hair go in favor of a still tighter grip on a dime sized clump of the hair. He brought the hand holding the hair up to his cheek, nuzzling into it, and, Sephiroth belatedly noticed, small glittering tears trailing slowly down into it. _'Curious, I wonder why he is crying? Is this a long lost familiar action to him?'_ his cool, analytical brain pondered, pushing away the soft outburst from the emotional side that he tried daily to hide, that it was surely because he felt safe and wanted. He sighed, sitting down on the bed, knowing it would hurt pull his hair from that vice like grip, the only other way of getting it released that he could think of being to wake the boy up. No matter how much he tried to deny his more emotional side he could not bring himself to do so, the angelic face looking almost as if this were the first time he had slept without fear in his whole life.

_'It makes me wonder, how bad can his life be, I have yet to meet anyone with a childhood as bad as my own.' _he though, his mind briefly touching those memories, to which he had tried his desperately to harden his heart to._ 'There is little that could be worse than that childhood, but what if his is as bad, what good would it do me to know?' _His mind began to run circles and before long he was thinking deeply, about his childhood, and what good the knowledge of it would do to anyone, all the while absently running his fingers though the blond hair. His eyes slowly slipped closed, so that he could organize his thoughts better, and without even realizing it drifted of to sleep, curled just slightly around the younger male, in a protective manner.

The sound of his door opening slowly brought him to full wakefulness in moments, battle honed skills teaching him to locate his weapon and then the threat. It wasn't until his registered an amused looking Zack that he realized he had fallen asleep waiting for the boy on his bed to get picked up.

"What so many people would do for a picture of this right here..." the statement came in a whisper tinged with soft laughter.

"You take a picture and I will kill you." green eyes, with a look meant to pin the other in place, glowed slightly from their owners position propped up against the headboard.

"Don't worry, I don't want any unfair rumors spreading about the kid." was the response, an easy shrug defusing the effects the gaze may have had, knowing each other for years had made the raven haired man immune to the threats held there. He moved toward the bed, sitting down lightly near the two already there, grinning lightly as he noticed how the boy had kept the stoic man so close. The silver haired man let out a soft growl before asking what Zack intended to do in order to fix the situation.

_Cloud was crying, it felt as if he had been crying for all eternity, sometimes burning angry tears, others cold tears of pure despair, and ever now and again lonely choking sobs and tears. He felt the ground under him shift slightly, panic over riding the tears for only a moment, as it stopped after only a single moment, but the whimper he let out during that time seeming to hang in the air. As he cried he could hear all of the cruel and hateful things he had ever been called or told echoing, though if it was in his head or the empty barren wasteland he could not tell._

_He heard a soft, kind voice call his name, a voice he knew, and it prompted him to look up and around him, to find it's source and hopefully remember the owners name. He heard it again, stronger this time, and he cast about him almost franticly, hoping, praying to find the man, _a strong man,_ the one who that voice belonged to. He saw a flash of dark hair up at the top of one of the ridges and craning his head back he was finally able to see the bright cobalt-blue eyes and un-tameable raven colored hair, "_Zack_" that was the man's name, and he called it, racing to where he was, climbing the side easily, reaching out for the others outstretched hand. _

_Just as they came close enough for fingertips to brush he felt the rocks underfoot slip and slide away, carrying him back down the base. He tried again, and once more just as his goal was in reach he found himself sliding back down to the bottom of the incline. He pressed on, over and over climbing until he was just their before loosing his footing and ending up at the base again; all the while Zack calling out his name, soon another voice joined Zack's, it wasn't familiar but still seemed safe to Cloud._

_Finally just as he was about to give up he caught hold of the hand held out to him, Zack's strong arm lifting him easily up to the top of the ridge, but before his feet could even touch the solid ground there the whole world pitched forward. When he was finally able to understand the world around him he found himself kneeling beside Zack, the man's chest covered in bullet holes, he could feel the still warm blood from an awkward hug on his cheek and he listened as what sounded to be a final breath left the man's lungs, no sharp intake following. A scream tore itself from his throat, one filled with endless anguish, as he felt as if there were not another soul in the world that cared about him, about Cloud, the small boy from Nibelhime._

Suddenly he was engulfed in a warm, desperate hug, the soft familiar feel of Zack's shirt pressed to his face, and another equally warm body pressed to his back. Cloud could hear nothing above the furious beating of his own heart and the ragged breaths that he took, each one like a man just come to the surface of a lake after nearly drowning. Soon his heart beat slowed and he could hear, with his ear pressed to the chest in front of him, the deep strong heartbeat there, racing as well, and a deep rumble, like thunder in the distance, that he quickly realized was words, nothing of importance, just simple words meant to comfort, and they did their job well.

"Cloud" Zack said, softly in hopes that he didn't scare the boy awake, but unsure if he could bare the result that may come of shaking the boy, even lightly. There was a small twitch of a response, and so he tried again, slightly louder, still not succeeding in waking him up. He finally spoke up, no longer trying to let the boy sleep, and when he still didn't get any useful reaction he began to worry. Sephiroth seemed to pick up on this as he added his voice, though it was soon obvious that the boy was having a night terror. Zack rushed to the small kitchenette that was standard for all SOLDIER 1st class rooms, and quickly returned with a glass of warm water, not wanting to douse Cloud with cold water.

He dipped his fingertips into the water and ran them down one side of the face, hoping the sensation would do the trick. What it seemed to do was far from his hoped result, as a blood curdling scream erupted from the boy, making both the war trained men's eyes to fly wide with fear only moments before they both acted. Within moments Cloud was being held tightly, but carefully, between the two of them, the glass of water miraculously making it to the side table instead of drenching the bed. The scream thankfully died away, and they could both feel the sleeping boy awake in their arms, before relaxing and letting himself be rocked softly there, as Zack said soft, comforting words, what ever came to mind, mostly consisting of 'it's okay, your safe' and 'I'm here, I won't let anything happen'.

Eventually Sephiroth slipped away, his hair now released, and Zack could hear him moving about in the kitchenette, but not in a nervous or embarrassed way, instead he sounded full of purpose as he moved about with very little extra sound. Eventually Cloud looked up at him, eyes wide and full of tears, hiccups sounding between a few last fading sobs. He reached up, brushing away the glittering spots from his cheek, then running a hand up through his hair. "Want to tell me about it?" he received a small nod which was followed by a breath that was still marked by a faint sob.

"I was... alone, and crying... for a long time... I don't remember how long. Then... I heard you, saw you, you were up on a ridge, holding out your hand to me. I kept trying to get to you, but for so long every time I got close I fell and had to make my way up again... you just kept calling my name, and someone else was calling me as well..." He paused here and Zack could only nod once, not able to find words just yet. "Then you finally caught a hold of my hand and pulled me up on the ridge, but once you did.... y-you...." here the hiccups and sobs returned, making the small body in his arms shake like a leaf.

"You don't have to finish... if it is too much" He offered, looking down into such sad blue depths.

"N-no... I... You were lying there... you were all shot up, and I heard you breath one final time before that sound stopped. I... I screamed." As Cloud finished up Zack pulled him close and had a small moment of joy as the boy clung to him tightly, and held on just as tightly, not wanting to let the boy go.

"Here, eating will help." Sephiroth said, finally returning, three bowls in hand and he distributed one to both of them, keeping the third for himself. When he spoke Cloud tensed in Zack's embrace before looking up with a sense of awe struck confusion.

"Y-you... were the other voice I heard... you were calling me?" he asked, shyly accepting the bowl, finding a hearty stew there, that was not quite too hot, but not cold either and began eating it with gusto.

"That's right, you were sleeping, but must have heard Zachary and I calling you, that is probably what prompted the shift in your dream." He responded, the logic a constant from him, though he gave an odd look as he watched how quickly the bowl of food was consumed. "Don't worry, there is much more where that came from... so if you are still hungry just say so." As if to answer a large growl was heard, both of the men knowing it originated from the boy, causing him to blush a bright red, while the two of them let out mirthful, but knowing laughs.

N/A : Chapter three of My Salvation, finally all of the major players have been shown X.x only took me three chapters... Oh well, hopefully this turns out great for it.


	4. First Day

Cloud was content to simply sit in Zack's lap and down the food put in front of him, hearing but not listening to the two talk about what ever they wanted. Zack's deep voice rough with a vibrant joy of life, the more constant of the two voices, but interrupted occasionally by the other's deep, smooth voice that spoke of constant control. Before he could stop himself he began licking his now empty bowl, a habit long developed, to get every bit of food he could; he blushed deeply as the bowl was taken from his grasp, Zack's deep hearty laugh not helping his embarrassment. He kept his eyes concentrated on his own knees, and how much smaller than Zack's they seemed so he was surprised when the bowl was brought into his view, once again full. He looked up, knowing his face was still burning a bright red, and found that, even though the man's expression was serious and neutral there was a softness in his eyes, that made Cloud smile a bit in thanks as he accepted the bowl.

In the end Cloud had four whole servings of the soup, and true to the man's word there was more than enough for him to go back for a fifth if he had been able to stay awake to do so. With the warm food sitting in his stomach, full for the first time in memory, and feeling safe and welcome sitting in Zack's lap he slowly drifted off to sleep, only half waking for the walk to Zack's room where he vaguely remembered the man saying he would stay until courses started. After changing into his thread bare pajamas he found himself snuggled easily against the lager man as he once again faded into blessed dark oblivion, sleeping far to soundly for even dreams to bother him.

Zack had his arm wrapped loosely around Cloud, his eyes glowing slightly in the dark room, the mako allowing him to see everything in clear detail, as if the lights had never turned off. _'I swear they only give us lights for the comfort of any non-SOLDIER visitors'_ he mused for a moment before his thoughts went back to the discussion that had happen once he arrived at the Director's office.

_"Zack Fair, SOLDIER 1st class." the blond director's tone damning from the start, making Zack feel as if he had no chance for what he wanted. "I've come to understand the new recruit you came into possession of during your route is in need of special attention." The statement was left open at the end for Zack to respond to, a shot he wouldn't give up in this case._

_"Sir, the boy is a bit under nourished and suffered from a range of abuse, but he has an indomitable spirit. I called in support because of worry that I would not be able to aid him and herd the criminal at the same time." He said, knowing that by calling himself as the one at fault he had a better chance of getting Cloud accepted._

_"So... the boy will be fit enough for training when courses start, right Zack?" the question was much more of a statement, letting him know, in no uncertain terms, that Cloud was his responsibility, and that if things weren't in order in the next month and a half until the courses started there would be hell to pay. _

_"Yes Sir." Zack said smartly, mentally thanking the man and calling him a god alternately, as he was then dressed down for requisitioning a pick up, and not following proper protocol._

"I wonder what I got myself into with you spiky... I wonder." he mumbled, the long, stressful day catching up to him and pulling him down into slumber.

Sephiroth lay back on his bed, his hands locked behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, finally comfortable in a loose pair of sweats. He had learned as much from what Zack had said as what he hadn't, his reaction to Cloud's fear had been so automatic, already, that Sephiroth knew the boy was more traumatized than he seemed, possibly more than he even knew. Also by avoiding the subject of Cloud's chances at Shinra it was easy to tell that he had some big hurdles to over come, the first most likely being to get him to a good weigh and fitness level, two things that may never have happened to the boy before, from the way things were looking.

He had to wonder if it was worth having the boy there, but felt the struggling cry of his emotions that he could not completely silence. _'This may be his only chance to get out... to make something of himself. Helping him would be worth more than everything you did to get the title of Hero that you hold now. He needs a personal hero, someone who will watch over him.'_ was the argument it made, an almost pleading tone to the thoughts.

_'He has Zack, who is probably going to waste more time on him than is worth it. Unless he is some kind of battle genius there is no point in spending anymore time on him.'_ his logical side snipped back, all valid points but for some reason the seemed so shallow, after seeing those tears, hearing that heart stopping scream.

"I haven't heard that since the battle grounds in Wutai, after they first released one of their anti-SOLDIER monsters into one of their campsites." he mused aloud to himself, finding his own mind to noisy and busy to work anything out. "I think he needs a chance... to prove if he has the drive to make it, if not then... oh well, but if he does he will probably be one hell of a SOLDIER." He turned onto his side, thinking he would be content with the callus care, but it ate at his mind, and his heart until he whispered to no one in the dark room. "No... not oh well... he will make it... I'll watch him. I want to be a hero to 'someone', not 'anyone' or everyone."

Cloud woke up slowly, the sound of food cooking and it's tantalizing smell calling his sleep fogged mind to wakefulness. He could tell the smell of eggs and bacon, a warm bread-like smell that he could only guess was pancakes and the sharp, crisp sent of citrus. All of the smells worked to throw his stomach into fits of hunger, as it reminded him how nice it had felt to be full the night before. He opened his eyes slowly and looked over to a small kitchenette, where Zack was moving around, a baby pink apron on over everyday clothes.

Cloud got up and made his way to one of the tall stools that was placed along the outside edge of the island, making a third wall to the kitchenette. He looked at the area of counter in front of him and saw a plate, currently empty and a glass in the same state, he blinked and before he could stop himself he though _'I wonder where my food is.'_ as the idea finished forming itself in his mind he felt a pang of shame, assuming that the man who had already done so much for him would have to feed him. He was about to make his way down off the stool when the mans deep voice demanded his attention.

"Need the bathroom?" Suddenly he realized he did, and nodded softly before remembering the other was looking away from him and couldn't see the action.

"Y-yes please... sir."

"Arrr" he small growl like outburst caught Cloud by surprise, "Don't call me sir... it makes me feel... old, that is what I call my old man. If you gotta say anything say my name."

"Oh, okay s-er Zack"

"Much better, toilet is behind that door." He said with a lighter tone, pointing to one of only doors in the room. "I don't care if you decided to look around, there isn't anything there that is a secret." he added just as Cloud was making his way into the room. As he left the room, his business finished, he found himself looking at the same silver haired man that he vaguely remembered from the night before.

"G-good morning, sir" He said, hoping that this man didn't feel the same about being called by the title as Zack did. The single stiff nod that he received did not speak of him liking it, but there was no anger or distaste in his jade green eyes, so Cloud assumed he was safe. It was obvious that there were only two seats at the counter which, to him, mean that only two people were supposed to eat, the silver haired man being one of them, as he was already eating, and Zack could only be the other. He decided to get himself dressed and hope to figure out what he was supposed to do until the courses started, as that time was still a month and a half out; he had just started towards his bag when once again Zack's voice stopped him.

"What do you think yer doing? Never mind it, what ever it is, breakfast first." he said, waving Cloud over, the boy walking along in a state of near confusion until Zack picked him up, then true confusion over ran him. "Sorry, I'll get another stool later today, but for now this will have to work." the dark haired man said, seating himself with Cloud sitting on his lap in front of what was now clearly twice as much food as the other man had. Soon even if he had not wanted to seem too forward or rude he found his hands and mouth constantly full of food. Every bite was delicious to him, and after the first few bites he found that he didn't care if he seemed like a pig or if he was being rude and not even noticing that tears were now making their way down his face.

Zack had to resist the urge to chuckle at the boy in his lap who was quickly demolishing his breakfast, Zack having had his before the boy was even awake, but knowing that if he had suggested that all of that food was for him Cloud would not have accepted it. Finally he saw some of the signs he had learned to watch for long ago, genteelly slowing him down, as he came close to chocking as he tried to put more food into his already full mouth, or making himself sick from the speed eating. Soon enough the boy seemed content enough to nibble on a single piece of bacon, a state of near food coma making him drowsy and nothing more than a bump on Zack's lap.

"Okay" Zack said, rousing him from the slight stupor and setting him on the ground. "time for you to get dressed, we have a long day ahead." He said, pushing him softly towards the small bag. He began cleaning up from breakfast, Sephiroth already having taken his own plate to the sink. He waited until he was sure Cloud was in the bathroom changing before turning to the other man to say "I want to do something for him, yesterday was his birthday, and I am pretty sure no one has ever celebrated anything regarding his birth." He saw the slight nod out of the corner of his eye before continuing, his voice low. "I was thinking the 'Silver Plate' would be a good place."

"I will go with you two..." The quiet comment, made Zack pause and look over at him, but the other was intent on cleaning off the already spotless plate.

"R-really?" He tried to keep as much hope out of his voice as possible, but there was little chance of hiding it all.

"Yeah, I haven't left HQ in a few weeks anyway, so I might as well, after all, we need more food." He said, trying to shrug of his unusual behavior, making it seem like he was only concerned with some logical point, but they no longer needed to go shopping together, as they shared cooking responsibilities, to know what worked best, most of the food in a preset order that they had delivered.

"Haha, yeah that's true... are you sure you want to go, there are going to be a lot of people..." He made sure to keep the last part soft, not saying it as a worry, but more of a general statement, as touchy as the man was about being around lots of people he hated it being pointed out to him even more.

"It's fine." The simple statement carried with it a weight that said the decision had been made the moment Zack had opened his mouth, and he was starting to wonder if that wasn't what had really happened. A few moments of quietness passed between them, the only sounds being the small figure bumping around in the bathroom, presumably making himself look smart for his first day in the city.

"I was going to call Aerith... she would probably love to join, that ok?" He knew it was a little odd to be asking his friend if it was alright to bring his girlfriend along, but he always worried about the other man feeling like a third wheel around the two of them. The simple nod he got was enough to let him know that the addition would be fine, and so he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed the girl's number. His hurried explanation of the event going on was met with a sweet sympathy that some how managed to never become condescending. He was just putting his phone away as a thought passed through his mind _'Hopefully this will show Cloud that it isn't that I don't like him... in fact I can already tell this is something more than just a brotherly instinct or even a simple crush... but I can't, won't, lead anyone alone, or cheat... ever.'_

He heard the bathroom door open and saw Cloud standing there, his hair still spiking up and what ever way it chose despite the obvious signs of having tried to wet it down into submission, and some of the saddest, most thread bare clothes he had seen in years. _'I've seen Midgar orphans with better clothes.' _came the uncharitable thought before he could stop it, glad only that he was quick enough to keep it from making it out of his mouth or from showing on his face. In all honesty he remembered the clothes Cloud had worn the day before were barely different from these, both outfits looking ready to just separate at the seams and fall of the boy, _'And I would bet my left nut that he wanted to look his best yesterday when he came down to the tent, and today even... Good gods if those are his best clothes... I don't want to think what his worse ones look like.'_

Sephiroth's thoughts unconsciously mimicked Zack's, going over the state of the clothes, comparing the outfits from the two days he had seen so far and had ended up at the same out come. That these were most likely some of Cloud's best clothes and they were so threadbare the off white shirt was easily see through and the cargo pants made of a heavy canvas looked as if they had been used to cover and move wood before they had been made into pants, thin points all over the fabric, though none in indecent places. For the first time he could remember Sephiroth blessed his childhood, if nothing else he had been kept in good health with nutritious food, never going hungry unless he chose not to eat, and had alway had decent clothes to wear, even if they were plain made of the same fabric and same cut every time.

Cloud started to fidget slightly, from the wight of their combined scrutiny, he assumed, and so he looked over to Zack and said "We should get moving, we have a lot of ground to cover." This broke the other man out of what was obviously a in depth thinking session, which there was nothing wrong with, except that he was sure the boy would become very embarrassed soon, even if he didn't know why. He moved to the door and was glad for all of the military training both he and Zack had received as he was quickly followed by his friend and the boy tagging along naturally behind them. In this fashion it did not take them long to make it to the underground garage and to Sephiroth's mammoth of a vehicle, the official word going around was he had it as a way to be prepared for a mission at any time, but in reality he simply enjoyed the secure feel of the large, all steel military utility truck.

He unlocked the 'beast', as Zack affectionately called it, by remote, heading strait for the driver's side door and only looked back when he caught the sight of bright blond out of the corner of his eye. The look on the boy's face coaxed a small smile of pride to his, the shear look of awe was a bit endearing, those bright blue eyes wide, his mouth hanging open just a fraction, even his hair was getting in on the act a single spiky piece having decided to finally head downward, right between his eyes. He finally cleared his throat making him jump, but also catching his attention, then opened the back door on his side, and waved him up and in, "Unless you want to try and follow on foot..." he added to the urging slightly. A wild shake of the head and a few pattering footsteps later and he could hear Zack instructing him on how to buckle his seat belt as he closed the door.

The store he and Zack frequented was near by and took only a short time to get to, still the whole trip he could see Cloud in the back seat, wide eyed staring out the window, but almost afraid to put his hands anywhere but his lap. As they exited the vehicle he reached down beside his seat and fished out a small pad of paper and a pencil, before locking it by remote and matching step with Zack entered the store. He was fairly certain the people who worked here thought the two of them were a couple, in fact many people did, since Zack was the only person who he hadn't chased off right away, though it was not for lack of trying, the exuberant man simply would not give up until he had made Sephiroth his friend.

Not that he minded, since he wasn't treated like a godlike hero like the general populous, or a feared commander as a majority of the Shinra company did, or nothing but the results of an experiment the way his father, Hojo, did. No Zack treated him like any other man, gave him smiles freely, hugged him without reservation, laughed and told him jokes, even poking fun at him. More than even that though was Zack's willingness to tell him off if he had been a total jerk, to throw the truths about how he was acting into his face, 'whiney, poor me, and little child' were commonly heard at times like those, but those were memories that he treasured, being treated like a normal person.

The three of them made their way down each and every isle, Zack pestering Cloud to find out what the boy liked or didn't and finding at ever turn that either he didn't know, or he was not picky about that kind of thing. Anything and everything that would go bad without a fridge or freezer he wrote down, making note of the SKU# to make life easier for the cashier, making it so that they would not have to run all over the store to ring everything up. Regardless of their regular order already set up and not taking any cold foods their cart was half full, a lot of the foods high nutrient snack foods, all for Cloud, though the boy didn't even seem to notice, paying so much attention to everything, most likely almost nothing familiar here to him. As they came up to the check stand he said to the man "Please add these items to this order, and have them delivered to the address on file." He handed the cashier the list and saw him nod slightly, a look of utter awe in his face.

_'Great, a new one, this is going to take sometime...' _the though made it's way into his mind, knowing that the look on the young man's face was of pure hero worship. He breathed a mental sigh of relief as one of the managers noticed what was going on and took over everything, he was even happy enough to repeat his instructions in the same tone as the first time, just to get things moving. Soon, though never quite soon enough for him, they were done, having put the total on a special account for food expenditures for the SOLDIER 1st class. The three of them carried the bags of stuff they had gotten back out to the 'beast,' Cloud looking awkward but cute as he followed slowly behind, trying to take as many bags as the two men did. In no time after that they were on the road, Sephiroth heading for a well known place in Midgar, the 'Silver Plate' while Zack spoke to Cloud.

"We have one last piece of business to attend to today..."

"Oh? what?"

"You will see when we get there."

A/N: Hey everybody, here is chapter four of 'My Salvation' Thank you for reading, please feel free to leave me a review even if you don't really have anything big to say about this. One quick note, yes I do know Cloud has motion sickness, and no, I am not removing that character trait, but I am modifying it a little (the joys of A/U) I am going to model his after mine, so long as I can look around me and see the world around me, or am going to fast to even care (roller coasters) I am fine, but if I try to concentrate on something, expecially not getting sick, I do. If you feel you need to flame me for this... go ahead, it's my story, I am going to write it how I want.


	5. Another First

"One stop first." Sephiroth said, pointing towards a fast food joint, the sign proclaiming 'Mac's Home of Burgers' in bright neon lights. His destination announced he guided the mammoth vehicle across a few lanes of traffic, coming very close to more than one collision, headed unerringly towards his goal. Zack did his best to claw his way out of the car, succeeding only in lifting himself bodily off the seat by the 'ohshit' handle while glaring at his silver haired friend.

"You are crazy! Nearly got us killed for a bunch of grease and salt!!" He yelled, his cobalt eyes flashing dangerously, with a slight glow from the mako only adding to the effect. Sephiroth knew he would get this reaction out of the man, little be know to many others Zack was a total health nut who really didn't like the idea of fast food, as such his dangerous driving just to get to the food joint was a given for distressing the other man.

"Nearly, that implies that I didn't. Also I am not crazy, just want fast food." came his candid response, a small smirk playing on his lips, something he only showed to close friends. He felt as well as saw Zack relax, the very air in the car loosing it's tension as he slowly let himself down onto the seat again; his friend realizing that he had been in perfect control the whole time, the smirk a slight signal to him that the two friends shared. Sephiroth parked the 'beast,' taking up two spots, stepping out easily, before noticing Cloud pull at his door handle a couple times with a sad and almost frightened look on his face. He reached out, opening the door and felt his heart constrict at the bright and wonderfully happy smile that the boy showed him, followed by a bubble of laughter as the small teen scaled his way down the side of the much too tall vehicle.

He noticed absently that the child lock had somehow been engaged and put it back on standby before shutting the door and leading the small group into the food joint. Fast food was his escape, after having been raised in the labs of the Shinra company, the food that held absolutely no value but seemed to be so well flavored was actually a rare occurrence as he knew better than to spoil himself with it on a constant basis, _'but surly the boy has never had fast food before'_ he rationalized to himself. He made his way to the counter easily, what ever line their had been melting away in front of him, and he looked up at the menu, not so much for himself as because he didn't think Cloud would have any idea what he would want.

"You like cheese, right?" he asked the small blond, glancing down at him from the corner of his eye, and seeing the wide eyed, almost frightened look on his face.

"Y-yes, sir." The answer was so soft that had he not been watching him speak he wouldn't have noticed anything, as it was with his heightened he still only barely caught the words. As cute as Cloud was with his eyes wide in shock of the world around him it worried Sephiroth, this boy would be run over in the military if nothing changed, but he would do what he could to bring the boy behind those bright smiles to the surface, that he was sure of now.

"One cheeseburger meal, large." he said, turning back to the cashier behind the counter and saw the man punch in the order with a wide eyed, awe filled stare._ 'Not as cute as Cloud..'_ he thought, before analyzing that statement, _'I really think this kid is cute... I am over half his age older than him and I am finding myself attracted to him,'_ the realization was hitting him hard as he rattled off his regular order, something he knew by heart._ 'Could many people blame me though? He is so mild, but with a sweetness underneath that seems to be begging to come forward. Not to mention there is something about his tortured past that keeps making me want to sooth everything away...'_ "Do you want anything Zack?" he asked, only half of his attention on what he was doing. _'Is this what those people mean when they talk about a brotherly feeling? I hope it is... this kid doesn't need a pervert eight years older than him obsessing about him.' _That last thought sobered him up, and he concentrated everything on what he was doing.

He paid for their order and accepted the three cups that were handed to him, the clerk shaking so bad that he was in danger of dropping them all over, then headed over to the soda fountain, pressing his cup to the lever with his preferred soda, leaving out the ice since the stuff took up room that was better used for soda and when it melted it watered down the liquid. He handed the two other cups to Cloud and Zack before retrieving a lid and straw for his own, Zack was quickly filling his with the least sugary thing available, this time un-sweetened lemon-aid, but Cloud was looking from sign to sign in confusion. 'This kid doesn't even know soda, does he?' Sephiroth thought, before looking over the selections quickly.

"That one tastes like lemons and limes." he stated, pointing at a specific one, gauging his voice so that Cloud could hear it, but not to carry across the place. At the confused look he got he resisted the urge to sigh, the boy may be somewhat hopeless but that didn't mean he needed to show him that he was. "It is close to this one." he held out his cup with the straw offered towards the kid, who, with a delicate blush on his cheeks, took a slight sip, his eyes lighting up brightly. "You like that one?" at the small, but exuberant nod he received he pointed to the lever he had used only a few moments ago. "That is the one for it."

He watched Cloud get the soda for himself, watching in the cup as it filled, once or twice he let go just enough that the pressure from the lever pushed the cup out again making him fumble a little and some of the soda spill onto his hands. Once the cup was full and had a lid on it, straw sticking out like a proud little flag, the boy began licking the sticky soda from his hands, Sephiroth found he had to turn away, as another odd surge took hold of him and he had to remind himself the boy was only fourteen and couldn't have any idea what he was doing to the older man. Luckily their order came up just as Sephiroth turned to the counter, allowing him to make it seem like he had just turned his attention to their food, not away from the boy.

Zack had wandered off to find them a table while he had helped Cloud figure out what soda to get so Cloud stuck close by him, but took impeccable care not to bump into him in the least. In that manner he led the way to the table the other man had found, waving happily for their attention, and once they were close Cloud detached himself from Sephiroth's wake in order to rush over to the seat that was open beside Zack. He tried to snuff out the small pang of jealousy he felt, but it seemed persistent, still he refused to let it effect how he acted towards his friend. He quickly and expertly divvied up their food, both he and the boy with burgers, Zack having found grilled chicken somewhere amid all the greasy fried foods, and a thing of fries each.

He watched closely as Cloud took his first bite into the burger, noticed how he chewed the bite fully, experiencing the whole taste before swallowing the bite. Suddenly those blue eyes all but glowed and he took a second, much larger, bite of the burger, a grin that would rival the cat that got the cream plastered on his face as his cheeks bulged happily with the food. The next thing that he tried was one of the fries, and unless Sephiroth was mistaken, which he could be, Cloud was having a near sexual experience from the tastes of the food alone. With a small satisfied smirk on his face he took the first savory bite of his burger, a fire burning brightly in his eyes that he didn't even know was their.

Cloud felt as if he could die now and be happy forever, he had felt awkward with the attention that Zack gave him when they were in the store, trying to find out what he did or didn't like, but this... the silver haired man, he realized that he never got a name for him, had just taken control, but made sure that he got something he would like. Boy did he like it, all of the different flavors, everything with a different texture, their own individual properties demanding to be noticed, something like the notes of a over stressed song, but not badly done, in fact he loved it, every bit. He had once heard a lady in the village say that the chocolate truffle she was eating was 'better than sex and sin' at the time he had no idea what she could have meant by that, now he did, and it was beyond heavenly.

He felt eyes watching him and looked up to find himself caught in those green eyes, the mirth that was hidden there turning them a sparkling emerald and the sight was as intoxicating as the food was. A single finely shaped silver eyebrow arched in a masculine yet delicate way and Cloud realized that he had been staring, he quickly tore his gaze away, focusing it once more on his food as a bright blush covered his face. He heard a faint snort of laughter from the man as he made to continue eating, his face burning the whole time. It didn't take their small group long to finish their food, even with the two savoring every bite, and soon they were on their way back out to the vehicle, once out there Zack stopped them for a moment.

"Just a second," he said, digging into his pockets for something. "I think that we need to have Cloud blindfolded, after all there are places that only SOLDIER 1st class' are allowed to know how to get to." He said, pulling out a strip of black cloth that was clearly too thick to see though. He moved over to Cloud and wrapped the band around his eyes, covering them and testing to see if Cloud could see from anywhere. He became nervous once he was unable to see and had to keep reminding himself that these two men were trustworthy, they would not let anything bad happen to him while he was like this. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, jumping momentarily before registering the voice as Zack's as the man guided him up into the seat of the vehicle before buckling him in.

He heard the doors open and close as they got in as well, followed by the soft clicking sound as both of them buckled themselves in. Next came the rumbling sound of the engine as it turned over and sprang to life, he could even hear as the gears were shifted, ever sound almost frighteningly loud in his ears as his mind and body worked to compensate for the lack of sight. Zack began chatting slightly with the other man and Cloud concentrated on the sound, not paying attention to the words again. The smooth deep voice broke in only occasionally, same as it had last night, and Cloud found himself wanting to hear that voice more no matter what it was saying.

_'I... I like him, I really do, he is so kind, in his own stoic way. Still there is something in his eyes, a kind of pain, or is it fear, though what he could fear I have no idea, he is a SOLDIER 1st class. I want to know him more and more, I... I must be more interested in guys, not that any one couldn't find both Zack and him attractive.' the thoughts paraded around his head, a slight distraction from the sick feeling that was growing in his stomach. He was so absorbed that he nearly missed Zack say a name, now concentrating on the words being said along with the voices._

"_Hey Seph?" Zack's voice was full of mischief, light and humorous._

"_Hmm?" Was the liquid silver reply, sending shivers down Cloud's spine._

"_I have to ask, what sent did you use today? I can't tell if it's vanilla or rose..." That statement made Cloud very confused, but still he listened, waiting for another hint of that voice._

"_Wrong on both, it's Jasmine today." came the reply, feeling almost like a caress from the others voice across Cloud's cheek. He heard the man shift and caught a whiff of a soft flowery scent, one that he now remembered was in his dream the night before. "And this is from yesterday, I showered just a bit before you arrived back, been showering in the evenings, days are too muggy but the nights are cool enough." He continued, the sound of his voice making Cloud feel giddy from his place in the backseat. He felt something soft and silken land on the back of his hand and grabbed it softly, holding it with one hand he ran his fingers across it and knew right away that it was a lock of hair. Discretely he ran his fingers through the little piece while a soft smile played at his lips, the sick feeling in his stomach subsiding as he closed his eyes behind the blindfold and concentrated on the lock of hair._

_Zack noticed a slight movement from the quiet boy in the backseat and glanced back, he saw Cloud sitting there with a lock of Sephiroth's hair in his hands, stroking it softly with a slight smile on his face. 'These two will probably make a perfect couple someday' he thought to himself with an acute stab of pain, but he had already turned the boy aside and taken up the role of a big brother, he had no right to be jealous of what ever may become of the obviously growing relationship between his two friends. Still part of him wanted to grab hold of Cloud and never let him go, never let another living soul near the boy, but that wasn't even what he wanted, he had come to join Shinra, to join SOLDIER, not be tucked into a room where he would be safe and never see the outside world again._

_A small war raged inside of Zack, one side demanding that he give up this charade of only feeling brotherly to him and take the boy into his arms and rain love and adoration down on him, the other pointing out logically that kid was just that, a boy barely in his teens, who should be allowed to grow up on his own, plus he had his girlfriend Aerith, whom he would be seeing today. That mental argument sobered him up easily, so that when he looked back at his friend his eyes didn't betray the desire his heart still felt. They weren't far now, soon he would have Aerith beside him as a constant reminder of his current relationship to prevent his mind from wandering off and plotting ways to keep Cloud's attentions._

_Cloud felt the car take a corner at what felt like a high speed and whimpered before he could stop himself; even with that lock of hair in his fingers he was once again starting to feel that sick feeling in his gut. He tried to bring his knees up to his chest, hoping to rest his head on them, thinking maybe that would help him feel a little better, but he found that with the vehicle bouncing as it was and the lap belt sitting just the wrong way he couldn't even bring one up. _

"_You ok shorty?" he heard Zack as, the voice seeming farther away than before and he realized that his head was swimming slightly and he felt as if without the seat belt he would pitch right off the seat all together._

"_I d-don't feel well..." he said, his voice sounding pathetic to his ears, though he had tried to sound sorry, after all he shouldn't have any complaints being able to go around with two 1__st__ class'. His voice was actually quite sorry sounding, and more than a little small, reminding the two men in the front seat of the orphans out on the streets when they begged softly for anything those passing by could spare._

"_I am sorry, I will try to take the corners a little slower," Seph said, his voice tinged just slightly with something like worry, but Cloud could not place it. "We are almost there, just a couple turns then we will be parked." He would have nodded, except that he was sure that would lead to an even more sick feeling. He felt a large hand on his knee, shockingly distinct through his well worn clothes, the calluses formed in such a way that they proved the owner of the hand wielded a sword more often than not, and despite his sudden jump he felt a warm comfort wash over him._

_Just as had been said there were only a few more stomach lurching turns before Cloud heard the vehicle put into park and the engine turned off. He fought slightly to unbuckle himself as the other two got out, their doors letting in just a bit of chaotic noise before they slammed shut. He pawed at the door for a moment searching for the handle when he felt it move without his instruction, another hand, this one distinctly different from Zack's, braced his shoulder so that he didn't tumble right out. He was helped down easily and all around him was a cacophony of noise, among all the sounds and voices, many screams of delight, he heard a soft female voice call out._

"_Zack! There you are, I guess Seph side tracked you, he always ends up doing that." there was a playful laugh in her voice, and he could only imagine that it carried into her eyes. She sounded so much nicer than any female he had ever met, and he had no way to image what she would look like, but an image made itself half formed in his mind of a slightly round face and big eyes, with some kind of smooth, soft looking hair._

"_Yeah, big lug wanted his fast food, sorry Aerith sweetheart." the sound of a small kiss followed this statement and Cloud quickly figured out that Zack and this girl, Aerith, were dating, and indeed Zack sounded very happy to see her. "Now we should probably take this off." There was a soft tugging at the blindfold before it fell away and there before him was a pretty woman, her soft green eyes big like the image in his mind had presented, soft looking lips held in a constant smile, her face pleasantly round, without seeming overly large, and silky looking hair held up in a long twist that made it's way to the middle of her back. Behind her there was an entrace to a place he had only ever read about, an amusement park, the bright neon sign in front stating that it was the 'Silver Plate, Midgar's taste of the Golden Saucer.'_

_A/N: Here is chapter five, yes another slight cliffie, but nothing evil, I am kind of surprised I filled a whole chapter with what I did, but I felt the need for a bit more character development. A quick note to those who have been reading this and noticed my lack of posting each day. I have not dropped this, and in fact I don't know if I ever really will, but I will be cutting back how many chapters I put out in a week, probably down to 2, though if I can get more done in a week I will do so. _

_Also I made a 'gift art' for all those people who have been putting this on alerts and leaving me reviews. __http://demothi__ dot deviantart dot com / art / Thanks-from-the-boys-and-me-126791058_


	6. Glad You Were Born

Cloud looked up at the entrance in amazement, whipping his head around to take in every sight and every sound Sephiroth noticed with a soft smile. There was a soft tremor in his arms that could have been either excitement or fear, but to the tall man it seemed that it was a little of both; those bright blue eyes were wide and both joy and fear seemed to battle inside them, giving the boy a slightly confused look. Zack jogged back from the front ticket booth, three brightly colored bracelets held in one had, a matching on fastened around his wrist, they were all day passes, allowing the small group to come and go from the amusement park until the gates closes, sometime around 2 in the morning. He quickly grabbed one of Cloud's shaking hands and put a bracelet there, before releasing it to toss one at Sephiroth and put the final one on Aerith; Sephiroth watched Cloud raise the wrist with the band on it up and genteelly run his fingers across it as he put on his own.

"So something big happened for someone yesterday, and we need to seriously celebrate." Zack said jovially, winking broadly at the whole group, his normal, face splitting grin plastered on, though it wasn't a forced smile.

"R-really? Who?" Cloud said, his voice quite soft, the slight stutter making him seem skittish, despite the eager look to his eyes now.

"I heard it was someone's birthday." Aerith supplied, smiling down at Cloud in that soft way that she did.

"That is important? Must be someone big for it to matter." The look of confusion on Cloud's face could have made almost anyone's heart melt. _'Except maybe Hojo... but nothing touches that man, I keep wondering if he has a heart at all.'_ Sephiroth thought to himself, almost snorting at the preposterous suggestion that the scientist had a heart.

"Ohhhhh how sweet!" Aerith exclaimed, pulling the blond in her breast in a very enthusiastic hug. "Why everyone's birthday is important, it is a day for the people around you, who you matter to, to show they are glad that you were born!" She explained, her breath hitching slightly as she spoke, tears glittering visibly in her eyes.

"W-wait.... this isn't for...." the small boy started saying, looking up at the three people with him, knowing the answers to the question he had only started. "I... I matter to you?" the question was asked with a confused look and tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"Of course you matter Cloud, you are better than a friend already, your family, and there's no getting away" Zack told him with a wink as those blue eyes turned to him, when they shifted to Sephiroth he found he couldn't quite speak for a moment.

"You matter, I am glad you were born and that I have the chance to know you." he finally said, all the words rushing around his head, some of them demands to his body to copy the brunette woman's actions and pull the boy close. As a compromise with his own sudden urges he reached out and patted the soft blond hair genteelly.

Zack had to hold back a sudden surge of pain and tears at the boy's wondering question, and then had to bite his tongue when both his and Sephiroth's replies to the question brought about a bright happy grin from him, even though there was a slight look of pain in those bright, expressive blue eyes. Quickly he ushered the other three into the amusement park and quickly found them a map; he explained the different kinds of area's available for their group to wander to, and at another innocent question from the small boy was able to reassure him that it was his day, and so he got to make the choices.

Cloud warmed up to the whole idea slowly at first but gaining speed as he went, soon tugging them to a ride that, while not a ride just for children, wasn't entirely too fast or with too many moving parts. Still the smile that grew slowly on that face, hiding the distinct lack of fat that any early teen should have, was more than enough to make up for the slightly boring ride. The next one gave the excitable boy a taste for the speed, a small squeal of delight leaving him as they made their way around a particularly sharp turn. The next one that he pointed at had even Zack stopping with a slightly frightened look on his face, in demonic writing was a sign that announced the ride was called 'Hell's Graveyard.'

"Are you sure you want to try that one?" he asked, never having taken the ride himself but from hearsay knowing that it alternated between gruesome scenes and sharp speeds with the intent to scare the ride goers witless. At the sharp, determined nod from the boy he looked up at the other two, Sephiroth seeming unfazed by the choice but Aerith looking an odd mix of green and white. "How about you and Seph take that one together, I don't think it would be a good one for Aerith."

"Okay!" the happy response told him that Cloud didn't mind that the couple didn't feel like taking that particular ride, quickly reaching out to take Sephiroth's hand and head with determination towards the ride in question. The sliver haired man nodded back to Zack, as if to say 'see you on the other end of this' while a slight grin decorated his face, and the quality of it made the raven haired man blink a couple times, only a little bit wicked for knowing at least some of what they were about to see, but more happy, an odd sense of contentment hidden there.

Cloud wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to take this ride, it was clearly show that it was meant to be frightening, but still it was almost as if the ride were calling to him. He didn't hold it against either Zack or his girlfriend Aerith that they didn't want to try the ride,but he was immensely glad that Seph was willing to join him. He dragged the silver haired man into the ridiculously long line, keeping a firm grip on the man's hand while bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly, fairly dancing with anticipation. Each time the line moved forward he would rush, as if at any moment if he wasn't close enough he would be told to leave the line, every time he did this he managed to drag the tall man behind him. The tall warrior put up with the shows of exuberance with good humor, watching with interested green eyes as the blue eyed blond listened intently to the shrill screams emitted by the ride and it's passengers.

Once the pair made it to the front of the line Cloud began to become even more restless, inspiring Sephiroth to play around with him a little, the mischief he had first felt when approaching the ride resurfacing. Quietly and with great skill he bent down until he was only a hair's breath from the blond's ear, his breath angled in such a way that it wouldn't register to the excited boy, a smirk playing across his lips and he had to fight back a chuckle. "Are you scared yet?" He asked, intentionally distorting his voice so that it was a bit deeper with what he had been told was a 'smokey' quality, he had been assured by a number of people that the voice was rather unsettling and could 'scare most anyone shit-less' as Zack had put it.

He could not hold back the mirth that formed from seeing the boy jump nearly a foot in the air and whirl around with those pristine blue eyes wide, faint tears building there from the fright he had felt. He blushed furiously at his embarrassment and when the tall man began to laugh at him, a familiar feeling of shame grew in his throat, it was then that he realized he was still holding the other's hand let it drop. The sounds of amusement died less than a moment later and though Cloud was now looking down and away, his gaze hot with anger he knew the tall man had knelt down, he didn't know what to expect and nearly jumped out of his skin when a surprisingly soft right hand came up to rest on his cheek.

"Did I upset you?" That voice was full of concern, making the blond feel somewhat foolish to think the man had meant ill towards him, after everything he had said and done so far. Another blush crept onto his cheeks as the flush of anger died away with that revelation, a slight nod his only answer, as he couldn't find his voice around the tears threatening to engulf him. "I meant it only as a joke, and while I meant to startle you I didn't mean for it to upset you."

"I-I thought you were... trying to be mean..." The words finally came out accompanied by a few soft sobs as tears started trickling down his face. "I... am still learning... jokes..." Anything else he intended to say was drown out by a wave of sobs, tears burning their way down his face, shame building there as he cried in public once more, something he swore he would never do again years ago. Sephiroth felt his heart clench at the sight of the boy crying, and something prompted him to draw the slight figure close, his awkward embrace pulling the the blond to his chest where, with only a slight tilt of the taller man's head, he was surrounded in a silver curtain, cutting off the rest of the world.

Slowly the sobs and tears ebbed away, leaving the boy with reddened cheeks and a small sniffle, but no longer as upset as he had been. "Feel better?" Sephiroth asked, and after receiving a slight nod looked up, the cart for the roller coaster just coming into the platform. "You still want to go on this one?" getting a furious nodding of the blond head made a soft smile creep it's way onto his lips. "Then let's get ready to go." He said straitening back up and taking the boy's hand into his own.

_'It's odd, the way I act with him, more like I am not thinking and just doing...' _he thought to himself as he was graced with a bright smile that wasn't any less vibrant for the tear marks the younger male's cheeks. _'I would even say that it is going over well... after all it was merely that he didn't realize I was only joking with him that he got upset when he did. I can understand that, back when Zack first started joking with me I would take many of them the wrong way, gave him a few black eyes. I am fortunate he is so patient and understanding, which is exactly what this boy needs, and I want to help my friend, not just for the kid's sake, but mine as well.'_ He blinked at his own train of thought but found that he couldn't consider it flawed, and he acknowledged that more often than not people healed the most when they helped others heal, and couldn't help but turn a smile to the blond as the two of them made their way to the cart.

They were seated two to a row, allowing Sephiroth to stay right beside Cloud, and were seated on a bench style seat, the drop down bar coming to rest a good six inches or so off their laps. The blond gripped the restraint with something between avid excitement and fear, squirming around in the seat, occasionally bumping into the silver haired man often. With a good natured sigh the taller man brought an arm around the boy and pulled him flush next to him, and smirked down at him slightly. "If you get scared just cling to me." he said, holding back a laugh at the sour look he got while a hand gripped the side of his coat as if there were nothing below them. "Get ready it's starting." He said in way of a warning as the ride began to lurch forward.

The carts began their steady upward travel to come to the first drop, passing by manufactured scenes of gore, countless limbs, severed heads and bodily organs strewn about the surrounding area. Many of them moved, eyes and mouths opened and closed as screams of mock terror played from speakers, hands pulled severed arms about in circles and intestines and other organs moved about as if they were bubbling with a wicked life of their own. Sephiroth felt the boy in his arm press even closer to him, yet when he looked down there was only a look of vague interest there, no real fear; it seemed as if the scene was having the same effect on the both of them, interesting to see how they showed these things but no fear, no revulsion.

Soon enough the ride was at the top of the hill bringing them to the first terror educing drop, a shrill scream emitting from the sound system just as the first cart, which happened to be theirs, dropped over the edge into a nearly vertical decent. Sephiroth heard a scream of pure joy erupt from the boy beside him only moments before their decent leveled out suddenly, making it feel as if their stomachs were left to drop even further. This time the scene was of Zombies and other undead type creatures, many chewing on remains that could have come from the scene above; there were a small number of feminine shrieks from behind them, but the warrior wanted to see what the boy's reaction would be. Looking down he saw what seemed to be a disappointed look to the child's face, before he looked up to meet those green eyes.

"They would have done better if they had checked out the old Shinra manor for ideas..." he said in a tone that told the other the display was obviously fake and did little to stir fear. _'Well if he's been in that decrepit old manor I wouldn't doubt that these are all painfully artificial to him.'_ The tall man thought, remembering that the boy was from Nibelhiem, where, from what he had heard, the boys were shoved into the dusty old manor to face the horrors in an effort to raise the boys into being strong, courageous men. _'So far this kid out ranks any full grown man from that village in courage. He may have his own problems but when it comes to scenes like this he keeps a cool head and doesn't shy away... hell this seems more like one of those sappy tunnel of love rides for him than one to make him scared.'_

He hadn't realized a laugh had escaped him sometime during his musings until he saw the questioning look the boy was giving him, there was a small hint of that same fear from earlier, but he was trying to suppress it. "I was thinking how right you were, that manor is far more frightening." the smile he got by way of response made another smile grow on his own face. The two of them continued on the ride much the same way all the way though, encountering scenes like wolves devouring and mutilating a group of campers, or some imagined space invader rampaging through a city block. Each less impressive than the last, and each separated by stomach lurching drop.

Sephiroth was ready for the ride to be over, not because he minded the company but that they could find one with more exciting turns and drops without the boring interludes, when they rounded the last corner into something that made his stomach twist, his skin pale even more than normal and his naturally slit pupils dilate for a brief moment before they contracted down into the tiniest slits possible. He felt his whole body tense as he looked at a scene that seemed torn strait from a battle that had raged fourteen years ago, countless men, most of them SOLDIERs were cast about, dead, mechanical eyes made to look as if they were glowing with the last fading light of mako. The gore laid about was equal to or more than the first scene, more than a few bodies made to be unrecognizable as anything short of hopefully human.

Along each side was a mannequin body of a large monster the beast cut in half where the tracks made their way though so that two very large open sides of the massive wound that seemed to have been hacked inch by painful inch into the beasts body were facing the ride goers. He had known they would include some kind of war scene, most city people feeling a deep fear for the battlefield, but he hadn't expected them to recreate an exact moment in time, much less that one. It wasn't until he heard a soft whimper from Cloud that he even remembered the blond was with him, he looked down, wondering what kind of reaction this would give, to find blue eyes full of concern and worry turned to him, as if pleading for him to be okay.

"Does it scare you?" he asked, breaking the boy's gaze long enough to glance, unseeingly, across the area around them before locking eyes with him once more.

"Y-yes... I would be stupid if it didn't... battle scares me... death scares me... but I would be useless for the military if it didn't." came the reply, logical and thought out, even as his eyes screamed up at the larger man that he was deathly afraid of the battle scene that was presented to him.

"It's true, even SOLDIERs fear death, if we didn't then we wouldn't fight so hard to survive." he responded, keeping his eyes locked on the others to avoid looking up at the enraging scene. "This one... this really happened, fourteen years ago." He added, not even thinking about what date it had happened.

"Ho-how many people died?"

"Twelve thousand, most of them Infantrymen, the rest were SOLDIERs."

"When exactly?" The boy's voice was growing smaller, slowly but surely, but Sephiroth was only paying attention to the words, not the voice that said them.

"Yesterday marked the fourteen year anniversary of this battle."

He saw the boy go pale white then shift to a sickly green, wondering what could be the problem when it hit him. As of yesterday this boy was fourteen, in other words he had been born the exact same day that a battle had raged, claiming the lives of thousands of people. Not even stopping to worry about if the boy was going to be sick or not he pulled the small figure into his arms and began rocking him softly, running his fingers though soft, spiky blond hair. He felt the boy let go as another torrent of tears streamed down his cheeks, soaking into the fabric that was covering the broad chest he was held to. As the ride ended he easily picked the softly sobbing blond and carried him out to where Zack and Aerith were waiting, his raven haired friends eyes widening in shock as he approached them.

"Jeez, what happened?" the words were barely a whisper out of the tall mans mouth but Sephiroth heard it clear as day.

Jerking his head back towards the ride he looked at the other warrior and said "You'd have to see for yourself... I don't think I could say it out loud."

The younger 1st class saw the haunted look in the black clad man's eyes, and before he could even think found himself jogging over to the front of the line. He was a SOLDIER and by the gods he was going to use a few of the privileges he was granted for it now. He demanded to be allowed in with the group that was just about to go, and was seated easily enough. The last thing he saw before the ride started was his girlfriend softly petting the blond's hair as his war hardened friend rocked the small boy held to his chest.

Zack could only guess he looked quite pale under his naturally tanned skin as he found his way back to the small table where his three companions were still sitting, their positions barely altered from when he had gotten on the ride. To his relief the sounds of crying had stopped, but those hurting and haunted blue eyes that turned up to him as he approached were nearly as bad, clear tear stains marking his cheeks and leaving them a painful looking red, and probably as sensitive as they looked.

When he had first entered the final scene, not having found anything particularly horrifying about any of the others, he could tell immediately what had cause that look to Sephiroth's eyes, but, for a few moments, couldn't tell what had caused Cloud's unease. Suddenly he remembered the date the battle had been fought, one that lined up exactly with the boy's own birth, and having already pinned the boy as being a kind soul, not the kind of person who really wish harm on others, he was certain that the knowledge of his own day of birth coinciding with the day so many had died is what had cause the breakdown.

As he reached the table he forwent hugging Cloud alone to pull both of the males tight to his chest, tears welling slightly in his own eyes. He saw Aerith, her soft green eyes full worry and fear, and he gave her a sad smile, one that conveyed how this was something that the other SOLDIER had faced in his past, though he couldn't bring himself to admit to why it effected the blond as well. He held onto the two of them, despite knowing that Sephiroth wasn't fond of public shows of affection like this, he just couldn't let them go, or he was afraid he would dissolve into tears himself. After a few moments Aerith, in her normal, sweet way, suggested that they go ride the Ferris Wheel, knowing that it was a slow, calm ride, and thankfully they could stay on if they chose to.

The group made their way to the line with a much more subdued attitude than before until Zack saw one of the games booths and after asking the others to hold on jogged off in the direction. It was a game of strength, so he knew he could score high, especially since none of the vendors would point out that he had the unfair advantage of being a SOLDIER, so long as he didn't cause any damage. Within a few moments he was headed back to the group, two rather large stuffed toys in hand, the pink one he handed to Aerith with a kiss on her cheek, the blue one he presented to Cloud with a small flourish. For his efforts he was rewarded with a soft, shy smile as the boy reached out to accept the cartoon-esque stuffed bear.

Sephiroth seemed to take notice of how much the simple act had lightened the mood among them, and while there was still a knowledge of what had made things so awkward it was pushed back to make way for a little bit of joy. The silver haired man pointed out one of the booths, a shooting gallery, and they made their way towards it; the point of the game was to shoot out a star in the middle of a paper target with the air powered rifle. Sephiroth easily accomplished the task and accepted the prize of a stuffed yellow cat, all three of them were shocked slightly when Cloud asked to try.

"Are you sure? You ever shot a gun before?" Zack asked.

"I would like to try, but no, I've never used a gun..." was the blond's response, the look in his eyes hopeful.

"Well, this is a good time to try." Sephiroth said, interrupting Zack who had been thinking to try and dissuade him. "I will help you out."

"Thank you" the voice, though full of eager joy was still soft and shy.

Zack couldn't help but be mesmerized by how Sephiroth coached the young man, teaching him how to hold the rifle, how to use the sights and how the recoil should hit him to keep from doing any damage to his shoulder. The first shot was just a bit high of the star, but the second and third both placed next to each other along the outside edge of the mark, and as more shots were fired it quickly became obvious that instead of attempting to just shot at the star in hope to get all of it the boy was effectively cutting the shape out with the soft bbs. Sephiroth looked up at Zack, his eyes just a bit wider than their normal set and his pupils contracted slightly, a look of wonder for the normally stoic man. For his prize Cloud chose a stuffed black puppy and hugged the toy close as they continued their way to the Ferris Wheel, nearly skipping with joy from the praise he had received from both the booth hand and the two SOLDIERs.

The line was long and it was nearing the end of twilight when they finally were seated in a gondola and the whole thing started turning. Their progress turned into a stop and go production signaling the unloading of passengers, and for the first part left the small group suspended high, able to look out over the Mako city, lights shining and winking like many stars come to land. Cloud stared about in complete awe, blue eyes wide and reflecting the multicolored lights, seeming to glow as if they had mako to them as well. When the attendant opened up the door to allow them exit no one moved, each seeming content to take another ride. Long before the ride ended the long day caught up with Cloud, and he snuggled himself down among the stuffed animals, not even realizing that he was propped up against Sephiroth. When they reached the end of the ride Zack shifted slightly waiting for Aerith to get up so that he could follow her out, as Sephiroth gathered up Cloud into his arms, the stuffed animals cradled snugly between the two of them. Realizing his girlfriend hadn't moved yet he looked down to find her similarly asleep, and with a soft chuckle mimicked his silver haired friend, gathering the flower girl up into his arms and making his way out towards the vehicle.

It was a quite ride back to the headquarters, Sephiroth glad to take a detour to drop Aerith off at home, the girl still deep asleep when Zack laid her down in her bed, the girls mother giving him a large, sweet smile. When they had parked the 'beast' Zack and Sephiroth made their way up the older man's room, one carrying the boy while the other handled the stuffed animals and doors. When they arrived in the plush room Cloud was placed softly on the small loveseat along one wall and covered with a blanket before Sephiroth changed into a simple pair of black sweatpants, leaving his upper torso uncovered, and sat down on his bed. Zack looked over at him, from where he was preparing some tea, to find the tall man folded in on himself, knees pulled to his chest, that haunted look back on his face; he looked years younger, like a small boy fighting off demons his mind created in the shadows, and the raven haired male knew that he probably felt just the same.

A/N: Oh Em Gee, this took me forever to get out... I am sooo sorry to those people who have been waiting for the next chapter, I promise I haven't forgotten this story, in fact what slowed me down so much was a scene that will show up later has been designing itself in my head and I had to get it written out or else I was going to lose it. As far as what happened in this chapter everything will be explained, most of it soon, the rest will have to wait, only one thing about what is going to be reviled will play any major parts later. Hahaha I shall hold you in suspense of what it all is XD (I will try not to take so long with the next chapter, I promise)


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